WT Athletics

[MooseLodge]

You bring up a great point. It seems like we hear more about Mary Hardin Baylor in football more than we would hear about Angelo State for non D1 schools when I live in the Austin and Houston areas.

I dont see how WT would entertain moving to D3 after building a brand new on campus football stadium.

Yeah, an 8500 seat stadium is just as good in D3 as D2. Makes no diff.

ESPN doesn't cover either D3 or D2 much, but certainly D3 more. D2 is a bit of a bastard child.

[BuffaloChip]

Yeah, an 8500 seat stadium is just as good in D3 as D2. Makes no diff.

ESPN doesn't cover either D3 or D2 much, but certainly D3 more. D2 is a bit of a bastard child.

Local fans and alumni would turn out just as well for a solid FB D3 as they have lately for D2. Sad to say.

[MooseLodge]

Local fans and alumni would turn out just as well for a solid FB D3 as they have lately for D2. Sad to say.

That is correct. And part of that is that the quality D2s moved up. You're not going to put 8500 in the stadium to watch Western New Mexico, Highlands, or Texas College. There are some exceptions out there outside of our region, but Texas D2 has been gutted in terms of quality. You can't lose programs like ACU and Tarleton and it not negatively affect you. No one's fault.

With WT doubling down on staying D2, that will be for the better, or for the worse.

That being said, the community and alleged supporters don't give any reason for WT to do anything else. Put up or shut up. If you want D1, do your part and sell the stadium and arena out, at the very least. Let's get real, that isn't much of an ask.

[cwfenn]

You bring up a great point. It seems like we hear more about Mary Hardin Baylor in football more than we would hear about Angelo State for non D1 schools when I live in the Austin and Houston areas.

Could that be because UMHB had been on the national stage and won national titles? Outside of my area of PA where there are a ton of D3's, I've only really heard about the ones that win big, and in football that's what, 3 or 4 schools?

MooseLodge does make a valid point about D2's though...If I didn't go to a D2 school and didn't live in the middle of the PSAC, I know I'm not hearing about them.

[Buffalo/Islander Alum]

Could that be because UMHB had been on the national stage and won national titles? Outside of my area of PA where there are a ton of D3's, I've only really heard about the ones that win big, and in football that's what, 3 or 4 schools?

MooseLodge does make a valid point about D2's though...If I didn't go to a D2 school and didn't live in the middle of the PSAC, I know I'm not hearing about them.

I think that is a big part of it. Also I think here in Texas you can get "full rides" at D3 schools especially at the lower classification levels around the state so it generates a little more interest if you arent a D1 caliber recruit.

I didnt see anywhere about Commerce winning the natty in 2017 during and after outside of Commerce and the D2 social media sites.

I was talking to an old timer several months ago at one of the high school football games. We brought up our alma maters and he graduated from Sam Houston State when they were D2 in the 70s and early 80s. He told me there wasnt much interest in D2 football back then because of the proximity of the old SWC schools and it all basically died when SHSU, SFA, and SWTSU all moved up to D1-AA in the early 80s. He did tell me that the alums back then were excited to go D1-AA (now FCS) and even more excited now with all ages and fan bases since they moved up to FBS this year. Sam Houston State is only 30 miles from my house and my daughter is already started to show some interest in it.

The Houston area is a "I don't care" location to D2 schools since there are no D2 schools around within 3 hours of here.

WT would be in a more advantageous position to grow since the only influence around is Tech almost 2 hours away.